Goyal: H-1B denials a "big win" for India’s startup talent

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has called the decline in H-1B visa approvals good for India’s startup sector. At The Economic Times Startup Awards 2026 in Bengaluru, Goyal said, “Every H-1B visa not granted is a big win for India,” suggesting this shift would help keep skilled workers in the country’s growing tech and venture ecosystem.

The comments come as U.S. immigration policies have become stricter, reducing approvals for Indian professionals in recent years. While Goyal did not share numbers, his statement matches government efforts to make India a stronger hub for high-skilled labor, especially in software, AI, and fintech—areas that have long depended on U.S. work visas.

Goyal’s presence at the awards event highlights the government’s focus on startups as key to economic growth. Earlier *StartupReader* coverage noted his attendance, where Groww and investor Manu Chandra were honored. His stance reflects a growing push for India to build its own tech talent base rather than losing engineers and founders to the U.S.

The question now is whether this position will lead to real changes, like more government contracts for startups or incentives to keep talent in India, instead of just grants, as *StartupReader* reported in September 2026. For now, the message is clear: the government sees keeping talent at home as a priority.

Sources: economictimes.indiatimes.com · economictimes.indiatimes.com